Roullete (pronounced rool-
Roulette has a long and colorful history. The earliest written accounts of it date back to the 17th century, and its modern version was developed in France around 1890. Although it has been played in many different ways, its fundamentals have remained largely the same.
The roulette wheel consists of a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape, with a circular metal rim that has thirty-six compartments numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. On European-style wheels a 37th compartment, painted green, carries the sign 0. On American wheels two green compartments on opposite sides of the wheel carry the signs 0 and 00. The symmetrical pattern of the numbers on the wheel is a key to the game’s success. The low red numbers and high black ones are grouped together on one side of the zero, while the corresponding high and low white numbers form a second dozen and are positioned opposite each other.
When a player places their chips on the table map, they are signaling to the dealer that they are ready to begin the game. The croupier then spins the wheel and sends a small ball flying in its direction. When the wheel stops, the ball is in one of the numbered slots on the table. The dealer then pays out winning bets, clearing off the losing chips and resetting the table for the next game.
A few basic tips for playing roulette: First, listen to the dealer when he or she announces “no more bets.” This prevents players from placing their bets too close to the point of the wheel’s rotation and can help them avoid getting caught in a bias. Second, beware of “systems.” While some people claim to have systems that improve their odds, no such system has ever been proven.